SectionsEarly Years and CollegeDr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929 in the city of Atlanta, Georgia, to Minister Martin Luther King Sr. and Alberta Williams. Originally born Michael King Jr., Martin Luther King Jr. had his name changed by his father in 1934, the year his father learned about the impact Martin Luther had on the reformation of the Christian church in 1517.
Time at Morehouse College
By the age of 15, Martin Jr. graduated from his high school and enrolled at Morehouse College of Atlanta, GA. At Morehouse College, Martin initially wanted to pursue both medicine and law, but geared himself toward sociology after learning more about the power of religion. Dr. George D Kelsey, a former instructor at Morehouse, introduced the concept of progressive religion to Martin. This type of religion was focused on the impact a ministry can have in social reform by combining the concepts of society and religion together. |
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"Crozer Theological Seminary." Wikipedia
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At Crozer Theological Seminary
After graduating from Morehouse College at the age of 19, with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology, King decided to attend Crozer Theological Seminary, located in Upland, Pennsylvania, for the sole purpose of earning his Bachelor of Divinity credential. This would allow him to hold the title of Minister. While at Crozer, the idea of pacifism was fed to him by lecturer A.J. Muste. This idea flowed with the teachings of Gandhi he received earlier from Dr. Mays. Pastor Mordecai Johnson was responsible for King's prolonged interest in ideas proposed by Gandhi, as he heard the pastor mention the ideologies of Gandhi during one of his sermons King attended. |
Time at Boston University
Once his time was up at Crozer, King decided it would be most beneficial for him to attend Boston University to attain his Ph.D. in systematic theology. His time spent at Boston was filled with developing his knowledge on personalism. This idea of personalism emphasized one's individual experience with religion, as opposed to the individual's outside influence with religion, such as being persuaded to submit to a belief system by familial or societal pressures. |
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Notable Influences
"Reverend Martin Luther King, Sr." Wikipedia
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Reverend Martin Luther King, Sr.
Reverend Martin Luther King Sr. was the individual who had the first influence on his son with regard racial equality. Martin Sr. made his son aware of the injustices of segregation and racism all together. Martin Sr. also made it a point to have his son believe that black men were just as equal to white men, no matter who thought any different. |
Mohandas Gandhi
His next major influence was Mohandas K. Gandhi, an Indian lawyer and anti-colonial nationalist. Gandhi, as he learned during his years in school, emphasized that love is most powerful emotion of all, and when combined with the idea of truth force as an adhesive to follow through with nonviolent resistance, a social movement is impenetrable. |
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Henry David Thoreau
Next is Henry David Thoreau, a transcendental philosopher of the 19th century, influenced King in a way that made King believe in the power of nonviolent resistance as a means to changing the way an unjust government operates. In his paper, "Resistance to Civil Government," Thoreau mentions how a minority can sway a majority into changing its ways, as long as the minority's acts of resistance are non-violent.
Next is Henry David Thoreau, a transcendental philosopher of the 19th century, influenced King in a way that made King believe in the power of nonviolent resistance as a means to changing the way an unjust government operates. In his paper, "Resistance to Civil Government," Thoreau mentions how a minority can sway a majority into changing its ways, as long as the minority's acts of resistance are non-violent.
Karl Marx
Another philosopher, Karl Marx, also a sociologist and socialist, spoke to King through his Communist Manifesto, who highlighted the injustices done by capitalism, given the lack of opportunities given to African-Americans during King's era, which would result in stagnation with respect to one's movement up the socio-economic ladder. Only those who had access to resources were able to climb up the socio-economic ladder in a capitalist society. Communism promoted equality, but to an extreme, which made the idea inapplicable to a degree, although few aspects of communism would benefit the people in every society in the world.
Another philosopher, Karl Marx, also a sociologist and socialist, spoke to King through his Communist Manifesto, who highlighted the injustices done by capitalism, given the lack of opportunities given to African-Americans during King's era, which would result in stagnation with respect to one's movement up the socio-economic ladder. Only those who had access to resources were able to climb up the socio-economic ladder in a capitalist society. Communism promoted equality, but to an extreme, which made the idea inapplicable to a degree, although few aspects of communism would benefit the people in every society in the world.
Events During the Civil Rights Era
Sit-Ins
The first Civil Rights events that took place were known as sit-ins. These events were most popular in the early 1960s and grew in popularity across the country during the first half of the 1960s. Their actions sparked the creation of both the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and the Student Executive Committee for Justice. The purpose for the creation of these two organizations was to coordinate future sit-ins and other nonviolent demonstrations, such as Freedom Rides. |
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"Freedom Rides." Wikipedia
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Freedom Rides
Freedom Rides were initially started to battle the segregated interstate travel policy placed by the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC). These demonstrations consisted of individuals, of all color, riding charter buses across state lines in order to show the country that segregated travel was unjust. Although the movement was almost diminished due to the violence the Riders encountered while in Birmingham, the violence other Freedom Riders were encountering during this period forced the ICC to revise their policy and make interstate bus travel integrated in May of 1961. |
Worker's Strikes
Down in Memphis, Tennessee, there was the Memphis Sanitation Worker's Strike that developed after the deaths of Echol Cole and Robert Walker; they both were killed by a malfunctioning sanitation truck. Prior to this work-related accident, the black employees were given the lowest salaries in the area, averaging $1.70 per hour, putting the black community at or below the poverty line. The black men in Memphis were fed up with their mistreatment, and 1,300 of them went on strike, demanding a change in their working conditions by Memphis Mayor Henry Loeb. The Mayor initially denied the request twice, but because of the support the Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees were giving the strikers, the Mayor was obligated to give in and change the working conditions of black employees in Memphis. This change occurred on April 16, 1968 The sTATUS OF bLACKs -
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The 40's
To begin with the early 1940s, the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) used sit-ins to desegregate public facilities in both Chicago and District of Columbia. On June 25th, 1941, Franklin Delano Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8802, which desegregated war production plans used to produce material for the second world war. This was beneficial for the blacks who were taking part in what is known as the Great Migration (Thoughtco.com, 2019). This migration consisted of black individuals and families moving from the Southern states to Northern and Western states, where most of the manufacturing and production plants were located.
To begin with the early 1940s, the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) used sit-ins to desegregate public facilities in both Chicago and District of Columbia. On June 25th, 1941, Franklin Delano Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8802, which desegregated war production plans used to produce material for the second world war. This was beneficial for the blacks who were taking part in what is known as the Great Migration (Thoughtco.com, 2019). This migration consisted of black individuals and families moving from the Southern states to Northern and Western states, where most of the manufacturing and production plants were located.
The 50's
In the 1950s, racial segregation at restaurants was finally deemed unconstitutional in D.C. by the U.S. Supreme Court. One of the pivotal moments in American history had to be the Brown v. Board of Education case which took place in 1954. This case made segregated public education illegal by law, which led to the gradual desegregation of schools all across the country. A great example for a slow desegregation process was in Little Rock, Arkansas, where several black students decided to attend Little Rock High School in 1957. A year earlier, in 1956, a Supreme Court case, Gayle v. Browder, made segregated intrastate travel illegal in all states. Later on, in 1957, the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights was established in Birmingham Alabama, and in that same year, Congress established the Civil Rights Act of 1957, which gave individuals of all color the right to vote and also established a Civil Rights department in the Justice Department. In 1958, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, having Martin Luther King Jr. as the Chair, was established in Atlanta, Georgia.
In the 1950s, racial segregation at restaurants was finally deemed unconstitutional in D.C. by the U.S. Supreme Court. One of the pivotal moments in American history had to be the Brown v. Board of Education case which took place in 1954. This case made segregated public education illegal by law, which led to the gradual desegregation of schools all across the country. A great example for a slow desegregation process was in Little Rock, Arkansas, where several black students decided to attend Little Rock High School in 1957. A year earlier, in 1956, a Supreme Court case, Gayle v. Browder, made segregated intrastate travel illegal in all states. Later on, in 1957, the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights was established in Birmingham Alabama, and in that same year, Congress established the Civil Rights Act of 1957, which gave individuals of all color the right to vote and also established a Civil Rights department in the Justice Department. In 1958, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, having Martin Luther King Jr. as the Chair, was established in Atlanta, Georgia.
The 60's
In 1960, as mentioned in preceding paragraphs, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee was founded on the Campus of Shaw University. In 1963, more then 200,000 individuals joined Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his March on Washington, which was the largest demonstrations that stood for civil rights and equality for all Americans. The speech Dr. King gave, "I Have A Dream," keyed in on the Constitution of the United States, as well as the Declaration of Independence; the government, in his opinion, was not living up to the standards explained in the document the founding fathers signed many years ago on Bunker Hill, and that the time to meet those moral standards was long overdue (American Rhetoric, 2019). In 1964, Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into effect, granting equality among all Americans, regardless of race, color, religion, and any other distinctive features. In the year of 1966, Huey Newton founded to Black Panther Party in Oakland, CA, whose main goal was to protect the black community from any discrimination from white police officers or white citizens in any respective city. This political party also provided lunches and school supplies to young black children who couldn't afford either.
In 1960, as mentioned in preceding paragraphs, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee was founded on the Campus of Shaw University. In 1963, more then 200,000 individuals joined Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his March on Washington, which was the largest demonstrations that stood for civil rights and equality for all Americans. The speech Dr. King gave, "I Have A Dream," keyed in on the Constitution of the United States, as well as the Declaration of Independence; the government, in his opinion, was not living up to the standards explained in the document the founding fathers signed many years ago on Bunker Hill, and that the time to meet those moral standards was long overdue (American Rhetoric, 2019). In 1964, Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into effect, granting equality among all Americans, regardless of race, color, religion, and any other distinctive features. In the year of 1966, Huey Newton founded to Black Panther Party in Oakland, CA, whose main goal was to protect the black community from any discrimination from white police officers or white citizens in any respective city. This political party also provided lunches and school supplies to young black children who couldn't afford either.
The Southern christian leadership conference
Trikosko, Marion H. “Marchers with SCLC Sign for the Savannah Freedom Now Movement, during the March on Washington, 1963.” Wikimedia
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One of MLK’s biggest accomplishments was starting the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). The SCLC had a huge role in many movements, marches, and protests during the Civil Rights era. The SCLC was started by MLK and 60 other ministers who all had a hand in making the SCLC successful. So successful in fact, that it is still around today and currently focuses on modern day Civil Rights issues, i.e. police violence and prejudice.
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The Montgomery Bus Boycott
One of the first things the SCLC did in the civil rights movement was to help organize the Montgomery Bus Boycott. This boycott was started on December 5th, 1955 with Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat to a white man. During the boycott, the black residents of Montgomery, Alabama refused to ride the bus system as a protest to the unfair treatment. The boycott ended over a year later on December 21st, 1956 with the desegregation of the bus system.
The SCLC used the success of the boycott to propel the civil rights movement and gain momentum. They turned their focus from just desegregating the bus systems, to desegregating all of the south which was no easy task. They did this by using Gandhi’s way of nonviolence against oppressors. This is what MLK believed in wholeheartedly, and what he championed throughout his life. |
Flickr. "Rosa Parks." Flickr
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The Birmingham Campaign
Alberton, Walter. "Martin Luther King Jr NYWTS." Wikimedia
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The Birmingham Campaign began on April 3, 1963 with the black students in the city of Birmingham, Alabama taking to the streets to protest segregation in the downtown businesses of Birmingham. On the first day, 1,000 students left the schools. On the second day, 2,500 students left the schools, both days chanting “we shall overcome.” These protesters were met with hostility as policemen would put them in school buses and hauled them to the local jail. The violence did not end there, however. It was at the Birmingham Campaign where you see the infamous pictures of police shooting peaceful protesters with high powered fire hoses and setting police dogs on them. These policemen did so because of the orders put forth by Chief of Police, Bull Connor. The news caught videos and pictures of the violence and broadcast it nationwide. Public outrage ensued and the Kennedy administration had to step in, resulting in the downtown businesses of Birmingham to be desegregated.
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The March on Washington
Next, the SCLC orchestrated a nationwide event to attract civil rights supporters and called it The March on Washington. A record 250,000 people showed up for the event. Here, MLK gave his iconic “I Have A Dream Speech” in which he voices support for the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which John F. Kennedy (JFK) had put to congress two months prior.
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Flickr "Civil Rights March on D.C." Flickr
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The Civil Rights act of 1964
Stoughton, Cecil. Lyndon Johnson Signing Civil Rights Act. Wikipedia
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The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a revision of the Civil Rights Act of 1870 which was originally torn apart by southern politicians because they did not believe the government had the power or right to control what private citizens did. JFK introduced the bill two months before the March on Washington and took it to the Rules Committee. It was still in the Rules Committee when JFK was assassinated. The Rules Committee was run by Howard W. Smith, a Virginia democrat. He vetoed the legislation, but LBJ pushed back by using JFK’s assassination to push the bill through. The house then did a “petition to discharge,” meaning that it negated the Rules Committee, who would originally set the agenda. Public opinion started to favor the bill, and this is when Howard W. Smith pushed it through himself, most likely to avoid embarrassment. It is important to note the extreme opposition people had to the bill, however. In fact the bill resulted in a 54 day filibuster that eventually was ended by its passing.
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MLK's Assassination and its effects
On April 4th 1968 MLK was fatally wounded in Memphis, Tennessee by James Earl Ray. At around 6:00pm, Ray climbed into the window of the Bessy Broomer's Rooming House and aimed a rifle across the street at the Lorraine Motel. MLK stepped onto the balcony of his 206 room, and was struck in the head by Ray’s bullet. He was rushed to the hospital, but his wound was too severe and he passed away that evening.
People took to the streets to attack symbols of white supremacy in retaliation. These symbols included white businesses that were leaving the area due to the Tennessee tax break if they left “urban areas.” At the time of his death, MLK was greatly disliked in America for many reasons. Some people called him a radical extremist because of his opinions on the Vietnam war. Others disliked his nonviolent approach and said it was outdated. After MLK’s death, however, public opinion began to favor him. The reason public opinion changed so much after the death of MLK was because people chose to ignore his critiques on capitalism, militarism, and racism in the interests of making him more palatable to white Americans. |
Wikipedia. "King at the 1963 Civil Rights March in Washington, D.C. Wikipedia
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Works Cited
Asselin, Kristine Carlson. Martin Luther King Jr. : Civil Rights Leader. ABDO Publishing, 2013.
Kirk, John A. Martin Luther King Jr. Routledge, 2014.
Rice, Dona. Martin Luther King Jr. Teacher Created Materials, 2012.
Hines, Carl. “‘Now That He Is Safely Dead’, Paying Attention to the Real Voice of Martin Luther King.” The Columbus Freepress, https://freepress.org/article/“now-he-safely-dead”-paying-attention-real-voice-martin-luther-king
"African-American History Timeline: 1940 to 1949," Though Co., Published by Femi Lewis, 2019
"African-American History Timeline: 1965 to 1969," Though Co., Published by Femi Lewis, 2019
"African Americans in the 60's" History Central, 2019
"Boston University," Stanford University: The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute, 2019
"Causes of the Great Migration: Searching for the Promised Land," Though Co., Published by Femi Lewis, 2018
"Crozer Theological Seminary," Stanford University: The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute, 2019
"King at Morehouse," Morehouse College: Martin Luther King Jr. Collection, 2019
"Martin Luther King's Fight for Workers' Rights," Moyers, Published by Peter Dreier, 2017
"Martin Luther King, Jr.: I Have a Dream," American Rhetoric: Top 100 Speeches, 2019
"Niebuhr, Reinhold," Stanford University: The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute, 2019
"Richard Gregg," Quakers in the World, 2019
"Sit-in Movement," Britannica: United States History, Published by Kurt Hohenstein, 2015
"The Formative Influences on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.” Peace Magazine: The Formative Influences on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 2019
"Walter Rauschenbusch, Christianity and the Social Crisis (1907)," The American Yawp Reader, 2019
Asselin, Kristine Carlson. Martin Luther King Jr. : Civil Rights Leader. ABDO Publishing, 2013.
Kirk, John A. Martin Luther King Jr. Routledge, 2014.
Rice, Dona. Martin Luther King Jr. Teacher Created Materials, 2012.
Hines, Carl. “‘Now That He Is Safely Dead’, Paying Attention to the Real Voice of Martin Luther King.” The Columbus Freepress, https://freepress.org/article/“now-he-safely-dead”-paying-attention-real-voice-martin-luther-king
"African-American History Timeline: 1940 to 1949," Though Co., Published by Femi Lewis, 2019
"African-American History Timeline: 1965 to 1969," Though Co., Published by Femi Lewis, 2019
"African Americans in the 60's" History Central, 2019
"Boston University," Stanford University: The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute, 2019
"Causes of the Great Migration: Searching for the Promised Land," Though Co., Published by Femi Lewis, 2018
"Crozer Theological Seminary," Stanford University: The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute, 2019
"King at Morehouse," Morehouse College: Martin Luther King Jr. Collection, 2019
"Martin Luther King's Fight for Workers' Rights," Moyers, Published by Peter Dreier, 2017
"Martin Luther King, Jr.: I Have a Dream," American Rhetoric: Top 100 Speeches, 2019
"Niebuhr, Reinhold," Stanford University: The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute, 2019
"Richard Gregg," Quakers in the World, 2019
"Sit-in Movement," Britannica: United States History, Published by Kurt Hohenstein, 2015
"The Formative Influences on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.” Peace Magazine: The Formative Influences on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 2019
"Walter Rauschenbusch, Christianity and the Social Crisis (1907)," The American Yawp Reader, 2019